Star mini round baler...

[unregistered168043]

Anyone use one? Opinions/reviews?

[FarmboyBill]

Wheres pics?

[unregistered168043]

http://www.smallfarminnovations.com/...und-balers.php

[rambler]

Spendy for what it is. Just real hard to justify the bucks....

Paul

[coolrunnin]

I was going to say it's a little spendy but if you truly cant affords a larger tractor or storage for square bales it might work out.

[unregistered168043]

Well spendy for sure but where can you get a brand new square baler for 9K?

[rambler]

My 60 hp Ford 5200 tractor was $5400, I've put oil, filters, and a battery cable into it in 3 years.

My old Vermeer 605F round baler cost $1600, I've put more than that into it over the ten years I've had it. Makes very large round bales, saving me on twine costs. Balers need a lot of parts, and hay is time sensitive, so you need to have a parts supply available....

I could sell both for about what I spent on them. I can get parts easily for both.

These little round balers are rare, parts are harder to find, and initial cost of the little baler will cost more than my tractor and baler combined. Then you have to buy more twine, as the smaller the bale, the more twine you use over all.

Seems like a neat thing, but expensive and impractical thing when you crunch the numbers.....

I agree tho, just looking at them, I want one too!

Paul

[unregistered168043]

Hmm I don't know, you are comparing old used equipment to the price of a brand new baler. Not really an apples to apples comparison. Are parts for the mini star hard to find? Several companies are selling them. Manufacturer based in Japan.

The agrivation of dealing with old equipment, the maintenance, the loss of time when you can't spare it, and the risk of buying a lemon from someone on craigslist has to be considered. But that is really a discussion of buying new vs. used.

I took the time to call the company that sells them and they are boasting an average of 80 thousand bales before failure requires major maintenance. They have a 1 year warranty and any parts that are needed are readily supplied.

IDK they seem like they might be the ticket for someone with a small ( 15h.P and up ) tractor. And small acreage. My 50hp JD with small chassie literally scares me sometimes when pulling the large equipment across my hilly fields.

[coolrunnin]

I havent ever bought new equipment for my operation it just doesn't pencil out, but I do try to buy in winter or figure to use it next season and go over it with a fine tooth comb just like I do my hay equipment over the winter month's cutting my down time to near zero.

we don't have a dealer for these anywhere close that I could find so getting parts could be a challenge, and just because nothing major goes out doesn't mean you aren't down during a crucial time.

But all that said they are a very interesting alternative for a small operation kind of like the old Allis roto balers, my uncle just left his in the field and fed them out as needed lots of waste but it worked for him.

[Molly Mckee]

I think one problem would be selling the hay. Horse owners want small square bails, commercial pellet makers and compressed hay balers want large big bales, and this is what they are set up to handle. Hay moving equipment is not designed to pick up or elevate small round bales either. All the warranties and promises in the world won't do you much good if your baler breaks when you have a field ready to bale and the parts are no where to be found.

[agmantoo]

I studied the design and the manner the mechanisms were driven. I believe that owning a roller chain and a sprocket company would be a plus if one had this baler.

There are plenty of small and very good square balers of the market with a history of reliability and available sources for parts when needed. If the baler under discussion does not establish a good market where is the assurance that it will not be dropped. If so where would you be?

[oth47]

Reminds me of buying a .22 when a .357 was needed..

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by oth47

Reminds me of buying a .22 when a .357 was needed..

Or a push mower to cut a 10 acre yard----every week!

[rambler]

I hear you, darntootin. You have some good thoughts.

For me and my experience, a good used makes much more sense.

Those little round bales might sell well for holiday season, but sure look awkward to handle and store for real hay for feeding critters. As mentioned, the world is set up for small squares, big squares, or big rounds.

How do you stack the small rounds to store them? The old Allis Chalmers roto balers made something about that size, and one of the reasons they didnt sell so well. A few stacked them in the barn, and they put so much pressure on the walls it blew the side out of the barn....

But, it certainly is an option, and I really like them for the cute factor too, and of you can afford new more power to you! you do make some good points. Perhaps for decorations the bales would sell for more and pay off the baler, who knows.

A place in Pennsylvania I believe rebuilds certain models of New Holland balers to output miniature small square bales, costs big bucks to have done, but people will pay 10 bucks for the 'cute' mini bales, so such stuff can pay off.

Paul

[doomas]

Seen a place where they sold minni square balers instead of the 14x16 bale they made a 13x15 size..the only difference was the machine was smaller and could be pulled by a 18 + hp tractor. but them to were pricey, in the 13,000 range new.

These were on display at a draft horse expo and they were totoing them to be used behind a team and a ground for cart.